The Indiana Court of Appeals will hear arguments Tuesday in a case involving the state’s “In God We Trust” license plates. As part of the court’s outreach efforts, the case – Studler v. Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles – will be heard at DePauw University’s Walden Inn in Greencastle.

Mark Studler, a Fort Wayne resident, challenged the preferential treatment given to motorists requesting the “In God We Trust” license plate. It was initially dismissed by a Marion County judge, but the American Civil Liberties Union appealed the summary judgment.

At the time the suit was filed, Studler said the case was an issue of fairness. He had paid the administrative fee for an environmental specialty plate and contends that the fee should be extended to the “In God We Trust” plate or eliminated for all specialty plates.

Budget review

City Council members will continue their review of Mayor Tom Henry’s proposed 2009 budget with a look at the city’s largest single department – police.

Council members say they want big cuts in the budget, and cuts may well be hard to achieve without slicing into the largest department. Yet many citizens prefer as much police presence as possible, so council members may be politically wary of cutting into the department’s budget.

Government efficiency

The group studying ways to improve local government – particularly through consolidations and other intergovernment cooperation – will share its ideas with the county commissioners this week.

One step the Local Government Efficiency Study Group recommends is that city police and the county sheriff’s department locate their offices in the same building. The recommendation comes despite county officials saying such a joint effort would be too expensive.

Jury Pool, again

New Haven City Council members are scheduled to again consider a plan to upgrade the deteriorating Jury Pool when they meet Tuesday.

At issue is a $4.9 million bond issue to renovate the pool. The council last year defeated a $5.4 million bond to turn Jury into a water park designed to attract visitors from throughout the area.

The New Haven-Adams Township Park Board voted last week to close the aging pool due to its deteriorating conditions. City officials have made it clear what proposals regarding replacing the pool they do not support, but it’s now time for them to clearly communicate what type of proposal they would support.

College Fair

The annual Northeast Indiana College Fair offers high school students a chance to meet with representatives from dozens of public and private colleges and universities to learn about programs and services.

Two sessions are set for Tuesday: a morning session for students and an evening session for families. The latter will include a financial aid information session.

Final debate

John McCain and Barack Obama face off in their last scheduled debate Tuesday at Hofstra University in New York. Bob Schieffer of CBS News will be the moderator.